Life Will Change
by robertkellett
Summary: A young man with a ton of baggage in his mind. A young girl with a bright heart and the will of a lion. And a strange talking cat of some kind. Life will change for the lives of Marco, Star and more as they act out as the Phantom Thieves, going on misadventures and living their lives daily.


_**I know a number of you are looking at me thinking 'when is RK going to finish something'? Well, I will get around to working on the CTS Reboot eventually but I recently got really into Persona 5. And as my inner Starco fan was thinking 'my god, a lot of the cast here matches Star Vs's cast if you look hard enough'. Thus, this short one-shot thing is born.**_

 _ **Not sure if I will post another chapter but for the meantime, hope you all enjoy this :).**_

* * *

 _ **5/12**_

To think, a young man with so much ahead of him, or rather, so much 'fun' in store for him, wouldn't get so worked up over a single person. But no matter how many shadows he killed, accusations of being a 'thug' being tossed his way simply because he did a _good_ deed back home, and meek appearance making people not too fond of him at first glance… A single girl refused to leave his mind.

Groaning, he collided into his _lovey_ single torn-up mattress and studied the very interesting wood ceiling. _Why can't I just say it?_ The boy wondered. He fixed his glasses and looked at the phone across from his table. Picking it up, he tapped the screen to see an image. It was of his two friends, a playful but kind 'thug' Tom and the girl that refused to leave his mind, Star. He was in the center, giving a confident smirk, while his two friends posed behind the first palace they took down.

Granted, Morgana repeatedly told him to delete the picture to avoid 'evidence' being on the table. But he simply couldn't remove it off his phone. _My first real friends…_ He smiled at the image, his finger brushing over it. Remembering his time back home, he grits his teeth. One would assume _someone_ would have had his back when that creep called the police on him. But no, not even his parents, the people that _supposedly_ loved him, kicked him out for the dogs to chew out.

Smelling the faint aroma of coffee in the air, he smiled at the _one_ person that is willing to give him a chance. Sure, River is a bit of a hard-ass about how to make great coffee and was far from willing at first to take him in, but the boy couldn't be more thankful at this new start given to him. Seeing Morgana sleeping on his leg, snoring and purring in pure content, Marco just gave the cat a soft pet or two before laying back down.

 _Might as well get some sleep…_ The boy was just about to close his eyes and enter the realm of sleep… Or jail, as that happened time to time when talking to Igor and getting new Persona's. But the phone started buzzing and jolted both Marco and Morgana wide awake. The cat made a soft hiss before giving Marco an annoyed look.

"What?" Marco glared at the cat, still baffled a _cat_ of all things can talk to him, even a good month or so later.

"You could have set it to vibrate Marco. We need our sleep!" Marco raised an eyebrow. "Fine, _I_ need my sleep. Just answer it already…" Marco answered, not even looking at the screen and putting the phone to his ear.

"Marco? Sorry if you're still up but got a sec to talk?" Marco blinked at the voice, giving Morgana an odd look. The cat walked closer to Marco as he made an 'Mhm' sound. "Okay. Huh…"

"Star, I'm really tired right now. Is this about the Palace?" Marco rubbed his eyes and sat upright. "I'm sorry you had to see all that. Can't believe how much of a…"

"Oh, yeah, the guy was a prick but this isn't about that." At this point, Marco absentmindedly set his phone to speaker so Morgana could listen in. "I… I never really thanked you."

"For what?" Marco stood up at this point, his voice edged with confusion. Star has been nothing but nice to him, so why should she thank him for anything? If anything, Marco figured he should be thanking _her_. She was a huge reason he was so gung-ho about stealing the treasure from Dave in the first place. Seeing how a _teacher_ of all people having such sick desires out of his students… Marco felt his left-hand clench into a thick ball, despite seeing the jerk confess to his crimes after the change of heart yesterday.

"For saving me." She responded simply. Marco just blinked at this. "You and Tom came into the Palace and got me out before…" She didn't finish. Being frank, Marco didn't want to finish the thought either.

"You saved yourself though." Marco sat back down, his voice calm and collected. "Didn't matter you were strapped to that cross thing. The moment you had enough, you ripped yourself off that thing and kicked ass." Marco smiled, remembering how Star got her Persona vividly. Words started spilling out of him at this point. "How confident you were… How _powerful_ you handled that sword. And your butterfly costume…" He couldn't tell if lack of sleep or just the lack of AC in his room made him hot right now. "You were… No, _are_ a force of nature. Me, Tom and Morgana just helped out. Besides, without you, no way would be have been able to prevent Dave from harming anyone else."

Star was silent on the other end for a good minute. Morgana just gave Marco a smug smile, despite being a normal cat and not some cartoon character like he is in Palace's. Marco just narrowed his eyes, making the cat chuckle to himself. Eventually, Star answered back. "…Didn't know you felt that strongly bout me…"

Marco was a leader of the newly formed Phantom Thieves. Killed shadows with a smirk on his face. Had a mean trigger finger. But nothing was as dangerous as Star right now to Marco. He bit his lip, unsure how to tackle things next. _Should_ _be honest… We ARE a team now._ "I can't say I don't feel _anything_ for you Star. Just glad we are friends and met each other."

Morgana just gave the most baffled look, making Marco snicker back at him. "Y-Y-You…" Marco made a smug smile, as if asking 'So what'. "I respect you more now."

"Was that the cute kitty?" Star asked suddenly as if to change the topic. "Hey, kitty! Mama might come by tomorrow with treats for you."

"I'm not a cat!" Morgana shouted into the phone, with Marco laughing so hard, he slapped his knees. "Hey! I'm a human… I think!"

"Star, you bring the treats and I will make our mascot a warm cup of milk." Star giggled at the reply as Morgana's eyes had stars in them for a moment. "Wait, you actually like milk? Why didn't you tell me?"

"…Shut up." Morgana answered before hopping on the raggedy couch across from Marco. "Just tell your girlfriend to knock it off." Star gasped on the other end, but Marco felt the phone in his hands weigh like bricks for a hot second.

"I… Ugh… I don't know…" Star stuttered but Marco just took a deep breath and continued.

"Star, he's just joking around with us. And hey, like I said, I was just being honest with you before. That's all." Marco said calmly. "We are going to be heading into _dangerous_ situations if we keep this Phantom Thieves thing going. So who knows what will happen. As a team, we both gotta be honest with each other when the time is right. I felt that time was now, so you do it when you're ready."

Star was silent before sighing on the other end. "I forget how mature you are sometimes. You act like a wise sage or something Marco."

"It's called life beating you down so much, you gotta think on your feet and plan ahead twenty times over," Marco answered back playfully. Star giggled at the comment and the two were silent for a good minute.

"Okay buddy, I gotta go to sleep. So… I will come over tomorrow. Don't tell Tom about this." Marco rolled his eyes. "Come on! This is a private thing between the two of us."

"Alright. Night Star." Marco heard Star hang up as he fell into his bed. "What just happened?" Morgana jumped on Marco's belly and started mushing it. "…Revenge?"

"Revenge." The cat curled up in a ball and started sleeping. Marco adjusted to this sudden weight and closed his eyes.

* * *

 _ **5/20**_

Ah, the aroma of coffee. It's a sent that shifts depending on what kind of beans you mix. Sometimes, it could be sweet. Others, tropical and powerful. But Star just smiled, leaning on her elbows and enjoying the downright intoxicating scent Marco was conjuring across from her. Wearing a little black apron, the boy looked oddly professional. Star snickered at the thought of _her_ joker making coffee for a big shop somewhere.

Noticing her odd expression, Marco stopped grinding beans and gave his friend a puzzled expression. "…You know it takes a good while to make my art, right?"

Star giggled the comment, earning a sigh from Marco. "I know, but I can't help but look at ya sometimes." Marco blushed at the comment, quickly fixing his glasses so Star couldn't see his eyes. Memories of a few nights ago suddenly flashed in her mind, of them more or less confessing they like each other. The mere thought of this boy she _just_ met having feelings for her made Star a bit worried, considering the _last_ 'admirer' she dealt with. The perv rotting in his cell right now made her grin for a hot second. But Marco was… Not like most guys.

Star studied the boy, feeling so… _interreged_ by him. She noticed how Marco shifts across so many emotions depending on the situation, it amazed her. In class, he's one of the most studious students she knows aside from Higgs. And is a man of little words, only really talking when spoken too unless it's with her or Tom. But the second Marco puts on his mask… He's a force of nature. Cracking jokes while leaping across rooftops and sliding across corners… Using that knife and pistol of his to ravage his foes… Not to mention his downright dashing Persona, wearing a bold black suit and having fists of flame…

The duality of Marco Diaz was something Star just smiled fondly at, wondering which was the _real_ and what was the mask. Or if both were simply just 'him'. She was so lost in thought, she didn't notice the warm cookies and coffee being slid to her. "Enjoy your meal, Butterfly."

"Why, I will, Joker." She took a sip of the coffee and let out a joyful smile. "I gotta say, you make fantastic coffee. Best I've ever had." Marco sat across from her, drinking from his own cup, smelling equally fantastic.

"Gotta make fresh coffee so we aren't out of juice when fighting in Palace's." Marco chapped his lips as he put the cup down. "Though wish I could make more than one cup at a time." He gave a soft glare at Morgana, sitting on a nearby seat, purring and sleeping in pure peace. Star just giggled at the sight. The boy she considered her leader and closest friend… Talking to his pet as if it was his boss or life coach. Oh, what a sight indeed.

* * *

 _ **5/22**_

"Why do I have to study all this?" Star asked in annoyance, pouting at the piles of paper before her. Yes, exams were coming up. And yes, Star hated studying. A lot _._ But equally unamused with the exams was Tom, folding his arms and giving a 'you serious bro' expression to Marco. As for Marco? He was simply getting cups of coffee for his friends and some extra paper for notes. Having such a calm expression on his face.

"I'm impressed Joker." Morgana purred from the table's edge, his white boots resting on a blank sheet of paper. "Knew you had a smart head on your shoulder but guess you're full of surprises." Marco simply fixed his glasses as he sat down next to Star, earning a knowing smirk from Tom.

"What bro?" Marco asked innocently, opening up a book and playfully spinning around a pencil. "Just sitting down is all." Tom just shook his head, a toothy smirk growing across his face.

"Yeah, seems Star's charms bit into your too. Did you know, I had a little crush on her when we were in school years back?" And as if a new mask was donned, Marco's pencil fell and his face was firmly painted with a mixture of confusion and annoyance. "Yeah, even confessed to her bout it. Got a nice slap riiiiight here." He pointed to his right cheek.

Star pouted, feeling tempted to chuck the heavy, very heavy mind you, textbook that was _right_ in her hands right now. She wanted to forget about that period in her life, where Tom and her were very 'hot and cold'. _I'm not a dumb kid anymore…_ Morgana just looked at his teammates, blinking at how quickly a lively study session went so hostile. Before he could say anything, Marco just fixed his glasses and chuckled. "Buddy, you know how to yank my chain so easily. Sure we didn't meet in another life or something?" Tom snickered at the comment and soon laughed. Star even joined in the laughter, with the friend group in pure bliss for a moment. That was until Marco coughed and started talking about Math.

Tom blinked but seeing an evil look on Marco's brown eyes, he groaned and started reading. Star bit her lip and soon read her book. _And I just saw another mask of his… Not a big fan of this one._

* * *

 _ **5/28 - (Play 'Beneath the Mask' on YouTube for added effect)**_

Today was stressful, more so considering Star and friends just visited Mementos for a few hours. Stretching her neck as she walked to La Blanc, she simply didn't understand how fighting in an underground subway with shadow monsters could tire a girl out. But blinking at the thought, she shook her head. _Now I'm just being silly._ The sensation of using a Persona, a being that Morgana described as 'a mask you don to face the world around you' really fit.

Sitting on a nearby bench and watching the sun shift closer to sunset, she pondered on what _her_ mask really was. In Palace's and Memento's, her costume was a lot different than the thug-ish look Tom had or the dashing hero that Marco's was. She was… Hard to pin down, as Tom described it to her one day.

Having a blue and yellow dress, her boots were very high, snaking nearly her entire legs. What surprised her the most though, was the fact she had butterfly wings on her back and a literal magician's wand. The wings even worked like _real_ wings, allowing her to jump higher and fly across gaps. The wand she had, wasn't like any magicians wand she saw in magic shows. It was more like something yanked out of some silly cartoon she watched growing up as a kid, having a ball with a start within it and various wings covered with rainbows. The feature that made her the happiest though, was her cheeks. They had cute little hearts on them, one on each cheek. It was confusing, but it made Star smile.

 _What does it mean though_? She asked, pondering the thought seriously for a moment. _I want to be a singer when I get older. Know I got the skills for that, but how does…_ Sounds of a soft guitar caught Star's ears, ending her thought.

"Where have you been… Searching all along…" _Marco?_ She asked, seeing La Blac across the street. She walked inside, seeing a sight that utterly baffled her. Across from her, was Marco singing softly while playing an acoustic guitar. River sipped on some coffee and smiled, seeing Star at the doorway.

"Come on in, didn't expect this either." Star sat down on a stool, eyes looked on Marco. The boy was singing in such a soft tone, it made her heart soar. Ignoring the small pool of people in the café, she didn't care. She felt as if Marco was singing to _her_ , even though he clearly was doing this as some odd favor of some kind for River to get more people in his shop.

Morgana just sat on Marco's lap as he played and singed, sleeping in pure bliss. "That's where I find… And empty glass… Reflecting a sad truth…" Marco continued singing, though his voice was more emotional this time. "I need the mask."

Star didn't react much, but inwardly, things _clicked_ for her. Marco being so friendly one minute and reserved the next? _He needs this. He needs Joker._ Looking at her coffee, she frowned harshly. _Do I need Butterfly that much? Or is that just a mask I wear…_

"Please don't take off my mask…" He opened his eyes, locking his with Star. "My disguise…" He stopped the singing, playing soft strums on the guitar and closing out the song. Everyone that listened in cheered. Even River just smirked at the sight, shaking his tired head and making coffee for the customers. But Star didn't clap. Or even smile. She just gave a simple look at Marco. And he did to her as well.

* * *

 _ **5/29**_

"Wait, what now?" Marco asked Star, having one of the most confused expressions he ever had up to this point. She just stayed firmly in place, strong blue eyes boring into his. "You want to go out on a date with me? Shouldn't I be asking this?" He rubbed his neck, unsure how to even respond. "And aren't jumping across a bunch of steps before…"

She simply put her finger on his lip, silencing the rambling escaping his mouth. "…You are right, but I don't care. We are going on a date today and that's final." The two were outside Echo Creek Academy, earning a bunch of odd looks from their peers. _I don't care what these jerks think. These jerks are talking about my joker as if he's a monster or something daily anyway._ They caught her dark expression, shrugging their shoulders or simply scoffing.

"…What do you want to do then?" Marco asked sheepishly, sitting on a nearby bench. Star soon joined and the two just relaxed, oddly enough. The boy felt a ton of antsy nerves itch across his skin. As his Persona's within his heart dancing unique emotions. Arsane and Izanagi were proud of what was happening, while Slime was thinking jumbled thoughts. Shaking his head, Marco rubbed his chin. "I know a movie place deeper into the city but not sure what's playing."

"Just hanging out with ya is enough." Star answered simply, resting her head on his shoulder. Marco's face went beet red, glasses fogging up. "We could stay like this for a while though. You got a cozy shoulder." The sweet sent escaping Star's blond hair went to Marco's noise and he picked up strawberries. He simply reminds stiff as a board.

Across from the pair, was Tom and Morgana, the former having a knowing smile while the later was just confused at the sight. "Okay cat, let's give the lovebirds some space. My bro is going to face the wrath of 'Confused Princess' for the next few hours."

"But her code name is Butterfly," Morgana replied, his meows being muffled within Tom's arms. They didn't catch Star giving the Phantom Thief leader a kiss on the cheek. Marco felt another mask awake within him, but he didn't care. He simply put his arm around Star and rested on her head.


End file.
